CAHU Capitol Summit Update

CAHU Capitol Summit Update

CAHU Capitol Summit Update

May 22, 2019Michael Traynor, Chief Executive Officer

In a presentation to benefits brokers on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, California Department of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said that his department is committed to assuring health coverage for all Californians.

Attendees at the California Association of Health Underwriters Capitol Summit were told by Lara that “Healthcare is a basic human right. His office will push back against efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act. And there are tweaks that we can make to the ACA in order to make it better.”

Lara thanked the brokers for attending the annual gathering in Sacramento and for their role in expanding coverage in the state. He said “Our legislators want to see you succeed. What you do is critical for California. Your job of enrolling as many Californians as possible is something that we want to protect.”

Commissioner Lara said his office is aligned with Governor Gavin Newsom and his efforts to expand healthcare to all California residents. He sighted the governor’s proposal to expand Medi-Cal eligibility to undocumented residents under age 26.

Less controversial is the commission’s commitment to improving technology at the DOI and requiring easier to read insurance contracts.

While serving in the State Senate, Lara introduced a bill to establish a single-payer system in California. The bill, SB 562, passed the Senate but died in the State Assembly last year and would have effectively prohibited the sale of health insurance in the state. Lara did not mention SB 562 or the topic of single-payer in his presentation.

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